Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hits the brakes on 20mph zones and low traffic neighbourhoods

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said that he’ll be reviewing traffic calming schemes such as 20mph zones and low traffic neighbourhoods in an interview with The Sun this week, hitting out at the measures as being “hare-brained” and an “attack on motorists”.

Speaking to The Sun, Mr Sunak said: “There is just this relentless attack on motorists and a common misunderstanding from politicians in Westminster about the fact that most people around the country depend on their cars.

“All these hare-brained schemes forced on local communities, whether it’s low-traffic neighbourhoods, whether it’s blanket 20 mile an hour speed limits need to stop.”

The Labour-run Welsh government has recently reduced the default speed limit from 30mph to 20mph, claiming the change will reduce the number of collisions and severe injuries from them, as well as encourage people to walk or cycle instead of driving.

UK Transport Secretary Mark Harper told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that blanket 20mph speed limits could actually be counterproductive in improving road safety because “if you put them in inappropriate places, people are less likely to comply even where they make sense”.

Mr Harper did also tell BBC Radio 4 that 20mph speed limits do make sense in places such as outside schools, in heavily built-up areas where children could be playing and in places where there is an issue with accidents.

Further details of any policy changes may be announced this week during the Conservative party conference, keep an eye on this page to stay up to date.

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